1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to laryngoscopes, and in particular, relates to laryngoscope blades.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laryngoscopes are used to establish an artificial airway in a respiratory compromised person by exposing the glottic opening through displacing the tongue and orpharyngeal tissue, illuminating of the laryngeal opening, and providing tongue and epiglottis stability. Thus, a laryngoscope allows examination of the larynx and aids in endotracheal intubation, such as during surgery or to assist patients to breathe in emergency situations. During intubation, a flexible tube is inserted over the tongue, through the larynx past the vocal cords and epiglottis. It is important in use of a laryngoscope that the blade be structured to keep the tongue and epiglottis from occluding the view of the vocal cords without harming the patient's delicate soft tissue.
Two commonly used laryngoscope blades are the Miller blade and the Macintosh blade. The Miller blade is a relatively narrow straight blade with a slightly elevated tip. This blade sweeps the tongue to the side and lifts the epiglottis directly to allow visualization of the vocal cords so that the tube may be inserted correctly. The Macintosh blade is a wider curved blade, and is used by placing the tip between the epiglottis and the base of the tongue (valecula) and placing pressure to raise the epiglottis enough so that the vocal cords may be viewed.
The structure of these and other prior blades often makes it difficult to see down the patient's throat, due to portions of the structure, such as the light source or blade tip, blocking the area that the practitioner is trying to observe or blocking view of the passageway. Some prior structures often do not sufficiently displace the tongue, epiglottis, and oropharynx for optimal use.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new laryngoscope blade that features a new curved form with bilateral flanges so that it better displaces oropharyngeal soft tissue and gives a larger, more direct view of the glottic opening, especially in Mallampati class III and IV airways (classification of airway during pre-operative examination of patient) where there is an inability to visualize certain pharyngeal structures. This can make for a more challenging orotracheal intubation. The laryngoscope blade of the invention also provides better stability of the tongue and epiglottis during use.
Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.